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What does an EKG technician do?

• Electrocardiography (EKG) technicians apply, monitor, and measure electrocardiography recordings as important members of a healthcare team.
• EKG technicians administer various cardiovascular tests including measuring basic vital signs, performing rapid response procedures, operating an EKG machine, and identifying cardiac rhythms.
• EKG technicians must be equipped with the knowledge and psychomotor skills to read, monitor, and report EKG tests precisely and accurately, and communicate with physicians, PAs, nurses, and other healthcare professionals to provide essential point-in-time information to support accurate and timely diagnosis and treatment plans of patients in the community and acute care settings.
• EKG technicians must demonstrate proficiency in the use of electrocardiography equipment, interpret and calculate data, relate to patients, and understand the difficulties and stress patients may experience throughout the procedure. 

Why is certification important to becoming an EKG technician?

Approximately 87% of hospitals, primary care offices, and clinics hiring EKG technicians require certification. Becoming certified shows that you have obtained the proper training and skillset needed to be an EKG technician.

What is the job outlook for EKG technicians?

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the job outlook for cardiovascular technologists and technicians, including EKG technicians, is on an upward trajectory. EKG technician jobs are expected to increase 24% from 2024 through 2029—six times the national average job growth.

The Towson University EKG technician program provides training to support the following skills:

• Assess the roles, average day, personal qualities, and desirable character traits of various healthcare professionals.
• Build a fundamental understanding of anatomy, medical terminology, insurance, and medical records as they apply to your future career.
• Adhere to ethical standards and guidelines for healthcare professionals.
• Understand the basics of electronic records using cloud-based software.
• Obtain, record, monitor, and report vital signs.
• Prepare patients for Holter or ambulatory monitoring.
• Edit and deliver final test results to physicians for analysis

Module 1

• Seminar: Pre-Clinical Orientation
• Introduction:
  EKG Technician
  Ethics, Compliance, and Communication
  Safety and Patient Care

Module 2

• Patient Vital Signs
• Electronic Medical Records
• Human Anatomy and Physiology of the Cardiovascular System

Module 3

• Human Anatomy and Physiology of the Cardiovascular System
• EKG Equipment Settings and Supplies; Maintenance and Disinfection
• Patient Preparation and Positioning
• Lead Placement and Artifacts
• Monitoring Patient Condition, Adverse Reactions, and Emergencies

Module 4

• EKG Equipment Settings and Supplies; Maintenance and Disinfection
• Patient Preparation and Positioning
• Lead Placement and Artifacts
• Monitoring Patient Condition, Adverse Reactions, and Emergencies
• Fundamentals of EKG Analysis: EKG Tracing and Waveforms
• Waveform Symmetry, Direction and Amplitude
• EKG Analysis: Heart Rate Calculation
• EKG Analysis: Determining the Heart Rhythm
• Heart Electrical Physiology
• EKG Interpretation: Sinus and Atrial Arrhythmias
• Junctional and Ventricular Arrhythmias, Heart Blocks
• EKG Interpretation: Pacemakers
• EKG Interpretation: Cardiac Emergencies

• You must be 18 years of age or older
• Have a high school diploma, GED or equivalent
• Pass an entrance test or have previous healthcare experience

This course meets all state requirements and will prepare you to sit for the Certified EKG Technician (CET) exam, offered by the National Healthcareer Association (NHA). Certification exams offered by NHA are only available online to candidates located in the U.S.

In order to sit for the NHA CET exam, you must meet the following criteria:

1. A high school diploma or GED equivalency
2. Completion of an EKG technician training or education program within the last five (5) years – or – at least one (1) year of supervised work experience with EKGs within the past three (3) years
3. Evidence that they have performed a minimum of 10 EKGs on live individuals

NHA CET Exam Topic Outline

Core knowledge for an EKG technician includes three parts:

1. Basic anatomy and physiology of the heart
2. Emergencies related to cardiac testing: syncope, chest pain, abnormal vitals,
3. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation and basic life support

The NHA CET exam measures this knowledge by asking questions across three domains:

1. Safety, Compliance, and Coordinated Patient Care
2. EKG Acquisition
3. EKG Analysis and Interpretation

Susan King, Ph.D., is a registered nurse with a background in leadership, critical care, and emergency nursing. She currently serves in the role of faculty and simulation coordinator for the Towson University Department of Nursing. She earned a B.S. in nursing from Bowie State University. She also obtained a M.S. in nursing, an MBA in healthcare administration, and a PhD in 2017. King is certified through the National League of Nursing as a Certified Nurse Educator, as well as a Certified Clinical Nurse Educator demonstrating standards of excellence in knowledge of nursing education through the National League of Nursing. King earned certification from the society for simulation in healthcare as a certified simulation healthcare educator in 2023. Dr. King’s lifelong passion of nutrition and fitness is supported by a certification as a personal trainer, group fitness professional, and nutrition counselor in sports nutrition and nutrition for weight management. She is certified in Barre Connect by the National Exercise Trainers Association. She has earned a certification in an aquatic fitness from Aquatic Alliance International and group spin certification from Kaiser Cycling Association.

Dr. King has a lifelong passion of student support and service to educating the next generation of healthcare professionals and is committed to supporting the success of our Continuing and Professional Studies students.

Hardware Requirements

• This course can be taken on either a PC or Mac.
• Webcams are strongly recommended.

Software Requirements

• PC: Windows XP or later.
• Mac: OS X Snow Leopard 10.6 or later.
• Browser: The latest version of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox are preferred. Microsoft Edge and Safari are also compatible.
• Microsoft Word (not included in enrollment).
• Windows Media Player.
• Adobe Acrobat Reader. Download the .
• Software must be installed and fully operational before the course begins.

Other

• Email capabilities and access to a personal email account